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βασανίζω

basanízō

G928 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To subject to severe distress or torment, both in a physical and psychological sense, often implying strong testing, examination, or exposure to hardship or suffering. In various contexts, it can refer to literal torture or torment (physical pain), severe mental anguish, or the experience of great distress as in being tossed by waves or plagued by affliction. The word extends to the notion of rigorous testing or trial by ordeal, not only in the sense of punitive torture but also of severe ordeal or distress.

Semantic Range

to examine or test by ordeal, to torture, to inflict physical pain, to subject to severe distress or anguish, to torment mentally or emotionally, to vex, to toil/dwell in affliction, to be tossed (by waves, as in a storm)

Root / Etymology

Formed from the noun βάσανος (basanos), which originally denoted 'touchstone' used for testing metals' authenticity, and later developed the sense of 'trial, examination' and ultimately 'torment, torture.' The ending -ίζω denotes a verbal form, meaning 'to subject to basanos (ordeal, test, torment)'. Root βαςαν-.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Classical Greek, βάσανος referred to a 'touchstone' used to test metals, and metaphorically, to any means of testing. By the Hellenistic period, the verb βασανίζω commonly meant to subject someone to an intense or revealing trial, frequently by torture, and came also to mean being afflicted with severe suffering or anguish, whether physical or psychological. In the Septuagint, it renders several Hebrew terms for being afflicted, tested, or tormented. In the New Testament, βασανίζω features both in literal scenes of torment (e.g., Matthew 8:6—the tormented servant) and in metaphorical or eschatological contexts (e.g., Revelation 12:2; 14:10—torment in judgment or anguish). English renderings such as 'torment' or 'torture' capture the more severe end of the semantic range but often underrepresent its extended figurative use for deep distress, testing, or even being tossed by waves (Matthew 14:24). The transition from 'testing' to 'torment' reflects both social and judicial practices in Greek and Hellenistic worlds, where interrogation under duress was commonplace. Distinct from forms of suffering described by terms like θλίβω ('to press, oppress'), βασανίζω emphasizes the ordeal as an exposure, proving, or extreme affliction, not always tied to judicial procedure.

Translation Consistency

primary "torment" 10 occurrences

“Torment” naturaly covers the primary range of βασανίζω in Greek — physical torture, severe mental anguish, or being severely tested/afflicted. It is the common, plain-English NT rendering that fits both literal and figurative contexts better than the overly specific “torture” or the milder “afflict,” and will produce natural-sounding inflected forms across all occurrences.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"subjected to ordeal" (1x) "subjecting to severe distress" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from βάσανος; to torture:--pain, toil, torment, toss, vex.

Root Family

βασανίζω (basanizō) — to test, to examine, to torment, to afflict

Root βασαν- to test, to examine, to torment, to afflict

Word Forms

10 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G928-04 βασανισθήσονται basanisthesontai V FUT PASS IND 3P PL they should be tormented they will be subjected to torment they will be subjected to torment 2
G928-02 βασανίσῃς basanises V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG torment you might torment you might torment 2
G928-03 βασανισθήσεται basanisthesetai V FUT PASS IND 3P SG he will be tormented will be subjected to torment will be subjected to torment 1
G928-06 βασανιζόμενον basanizomenon V PRS PASS PTCP NOM N SG battered being subjected to torment being tormented 1
G928-10 ἐβασάνιζεν ebasanizen V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG tormented was subjecting to severe distress was subjecting to severe distress 1
G928-09 ἐβασάνισαν ebasanisan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL tormented they tormented they tormented 1
G928-05 βασανιζομένη basanizomene V PRS PASS PTCP NOM F SG in pain being tormented being tormented 1
G928-08 βασανιζομένους basanizomenous V PRS PASS PTCP ACC M PL straining being tormented being tormented 1
G928-07 βασανιζόμενος basanizomenos V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG tormented being subjected to ordeal being subjected to ordeal 1
G928-01 βασανίσαι basanisai V AOR ACT INF to torment to subject to severe torment to subject to severe torment 1

Occurrences in Scripture

12 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G928-07 Matthew 8:6 βασανιζόμενος basanizomenos V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M SG tormented being subjected to ordeal being subjected to ordeal
G928-01 Matthew 8:29 βασανίσαι basanisai V AOR ACT INF to torment to subject to severe torment to subject to severe torment
G928-06 Matthew 14:24 βασανιζόμενον basanizomenon V PRS PASS PTCP NOM N SG battered being subjected to torment being tormented
G928-02 Mark 5:7 βασανίσῃς basanises V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG torment you might torment you might torment
G928-08 Mark 6:48 βασανιζομένους basanizomenous V PRS PASS PTCP ACC M PL straining being tormented being tormented
G928-02 Luke 8:28 βασανίσῃς basanises V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P SG torment you might torment you might torment
G928-10 2 Peter 2:8 ἐβασάνιζεν ebasanizen V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG tormented was subjecting to severe distress was subjecting to severe distress
G928-04 Revelation 9:5 βασανισθήσονται basanisthesontai V FUT PASS IND 3P PL they should be tormented they will be subjected to torment they will be subjected to torment
G928-09 Revelation 11:10 ἐβασάνισαν ebasanisan V AOR ACT IND 3P PL tormented they tormented they tormented
G928-05 Revelation 12:2 βασανιζομένη basanizomene V PRS PASS PTCP NOM F SG in pain being tormented being tormented
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